Portraits & Caricatures Portraits & Caricature 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a 'likeness test' in caricature art?
- Checking whether the image is recognizable as the specific subject without a label (Correct answer)
- Measuring the degree of exaggeration applied to features
- Testing whether the caricature offends the subject
- Comparing the caricature to a photograph at the same scale
Correct answer: Checking whether the image is recognizable as the specific subject without a label
A successful caricature must pass the likeness test—a viewer should identify the subject immediately, even without a name or caption.
Question 2: In oil portrait painting, what is the purpose of the 'dead layer' (grisaille) underpainting?
- To establish value structure and composition before applying color glazes (Correct answer)
- To seal the canvas and prevent paint absorption
- To create a textured ground for pastel application
- To block in the darkest shadow tones permanently
Correct answer: To establish value structure and composition before applying color glazes
Grisaille underpainting establishes a full value map in neutral gray or earth tones, over which transparent color glazes are later applied.
Question 3: Which facial feature is typically the most difficult to capture in a portrait likeness and requires the most careful observation?
- The mouth and lips (Correct answer)
- The ears
- The hairline
- The eyebrows
Correct answer: The mouth and lips
The mouth is the most mobile and expressive feature, and subtle differences in its shape, width, and lip thickness are critical for capturing a true likeness.
Question 4: What caricature technique involves dramatically reducing the body relative to the head to amplify personality?
- Big head / small body proportion (Correct answer)
- Contour compression
- Feature isolation
- Gestural abstraction
Correct answer: Big head / small body proportion
Giving the subject a large, detailed head on a tiny body is a classic caricature device that emphasizes character and personality traits.
Question 5: In the Flemish portrait tradition, what was the common practice of applying a warm ground color before painting flesh tones?
- Applying a reddish-brown or ochre imprimatura over white gesso (Correct answer)
- Mixing white lead with raw umber for the first layer
- Using a blue-grey ground to push warm flesh tones forward
- Leaving the raw linen canvas unprepared
Correct answer: Applying a reddish-brown or ochre imprimatura over white gesso
Flemish painters applied a warm imprimatura (a transparent tinted ground) that glowed through subsequent layers, warming all flesh tones from within.
Question 6: Which of the following is a key difference between a portrait and a character study?
- A portrait captures a specific individual's likeness; a character study explores universal human types (Correct answer)
- A portrait must be painted in oil; a character study can be in any medium
- A portrait shows the full body; a character study shows only the face
- A portrait is always commissioned; a character study is always self-directed
Correct answer: A portrait captures a specific individual's likeness; a character study explores universal human types
A portrait documents a specific, identifiable person, while a character study explores expressive types, emotions, or archetypes without requiring likeness.
Question 7: When drawing caricatures, what does the term 'relative exaggeration' mean?
- Exaggerating features in proportion to how they compare to an average face, not in absolute size (Correct answer)
- Always making the nose twice as large as it appears in real life
- Reducing all features except the most prominent one
- Using geometric shapes to represent facial features abstractly
Correct answer: Exaggerating features in proportion to how they compare to an average face, not in absolute size
Relative exaggeration means if a nose is slightly larger than average, push it further in that direction—amplify the deviation from the norm, not just add size.
Portraits & Caricatures Portraits & Caricature 3
Which of the following best describes the purpose of a 'likeness test' in caricature art?